Child's rights and roles in the family around the 1900's and 1950's?

Answer 1

Being a child in the 1950's was very different from being a child in the 2000's.

First and foremost you were taught to be, "seen and not heard". And they meant it! Manners were an important lesson to be learned. Talk back........not to my mother. The only "rights" you had back then were the rights your parents gave you.

Little girls wore dresses and little boys pants. Our shoes were practical and worn with very unattractive brown knee socks and it was a rare child who wore "fancy shoes". We were a rarity, I think, and allowed to wear denim jeans and jackets because of the chores we had to do. But only for chores.

We went to church and school and were expected to be well behaved. If not you were punished at home as well as the punishment you might be handed out at school. We played tag and jump rope and I remember that sidewalk skating, with skates that clamped on your shoes, was very popular. Mother worked a full time job. A benefit of that job was a Christmas party for the children.